Extracurricular Business Planning Competitions

Watson, Kayleigh; McGowan, Pauric; Smith, Peter

doi:10.5367/ihe.2014.0229

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Referencing school-based enterprise education, Culkin and colleagues suggest it is dangerous to assume that competitions are effective learning interventions; to do so is to overlook that the theoretical basis of competition can be challenged and the unintended effects of competition that are seldom fully recognised (Brentnall, Rodriguez and Culkin, 2018b). The enduring deployment of competitions in educative practice is underpinned by taken for granted assumptions (Brentnall, Rodriguez and Culkin 2018a;Watson, McGowan and Smith 2014). First, that competition is more beneficial to stimulating entrepreneurial learning than cooperation and second, that competition and cooperation may not beneficially coexist within entrepreneurship education interventions to enhance the entrepreneurial learning experience and outcomes.…”

Section: Contentions Surrounding Competition-based Entrepreneurship Ementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The propositions offered can guide competition provision in a more authentic, realistic and relevant way that is potentially better suited to inspiring and supporting entrepreneurial new venturing amongst students and graduates now rather than in the future. The paper thus has practical value to those designing and delivering competition-based entrepreneurship education.provision of which has endured largely without question (Florin, Karri and Rossiter 2007;Watson, McGowan and Smith 2014). Despite first, a lack of evidence to suggest that BPC participation results in new venture creation and second, the broader debate surrounding the relevance and effectiveness of putting focus on the business plan and competition within entrepreneurship education (Bridge and Hegarty…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…provision of which has endured largely without question (Florin, Karri and Rossiter 2007;Watson, McGowan and Smith 2014). Despite first, a lack of evidence to suggest that BPC participation results in new venture creation and second, the broader debate surrounding the relevance and effectiveness of putting focus on the business plan and competition within entrepreneurship education (Bridge and Hegarty…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rethinking competition-based entrepreneurship education in higher education institutions

Watson

McGowan

2019

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This document may differ from the final, published version of the research and has been made available online in accordance with publisher policies. To read and/or cite from the published version of the research, please visit the publisher's website (a subscription may be required.)Originality/Value: This paper valuably critiques the efficacy of a commonly employed yet underchallenged methodology for entrepreneurship education; the BPC. The propositions offered can guide competition provision in a more authentic, realistic and relevant way that is potentially better suited to inspiring and supporting entrepreneurial new venturing amongst students and graduates now rather than in the future. The paper thus has practical value to those designing and delivering competition-based entrepreneurship education.provision of which has endured largely without question (Florin, Karri and Rossiter 2007;Watson, McGowan and Smith 2014). Despite first, a lack of evidence to suggest that BPC participation results in new venture creation and second, the broader debate surrounding the relevance and effectiveness of putting focus on the business plan and competition within entrepreneurship education (Bridge and Hegarty

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Section: Contentions Surrounding Competition-based Entrepreneurship Ementioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rethinking competition-based entrepreneurship education in higher education institutions

Watson

McGowan

2019

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“…Despite being assumed as an entrepreneurial learning experience (Watson et al, 2014), current understanding about the outcomes of the university-based BPC in terms of entrepreneurial learning is limited (Schwartz et al, 2013). Minimal empirical attention has been focussed on the learning experience of nascent entrepreneurs during and post-university-based BPC participation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An exploration of the Business Plan Competition as a methodology for effective nascent entrepreneurial learning

Watson

McGowan

Cunningham

2017

IJEBR

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Purpose -Business Plan Competitions (BPCs) are readily prescribed and promoted as a valuable entrepreneurial learning activity on university campuses worldwide. There is an acceptance of their value despite the clear lack of empirical attention on the learning experience of nascent entrepreneurs during and post-participation in university-based BPCs. To address this deficit, the purpose of this paper is to explore how participation in a university-based BPC affords entrepreneurial learning outcomes, through the development of competencies, amongst nascent entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach -Underpinned by a constructivist paradigm, a longitudinal qualitative methodological approach was adopted. In-depth interviews with nascent entrepreneur participants of a UK university-based BPC were undertaken at the start and end of the competition but also six months after participation. This method enabled access to the participant's experiences of the competition and appreciation of the meanings they attached to this experience as a source of entrepreneurial learning. Data were analysed according to the wave of data collection and a thematic analytical approach was taken to identify patterns across participant accounts. Findings -At the start of the competition, participation was viewed as a valuable experiential learning opportunity in pursuit of the competencies needed, but not yet held, to progress implementation of the nascent venture. At the end of the competition, participants considered their participation experience had afforded the development of pitching, public speaking, networking and business plan production competencies and also self-confidence. Six months post-competition, participants still recognised that competencies had been developed; however, application of these were deemed as being confined to participation in other competitions rather than the routine dayto-day aspects of venture implementation. Developed competencies and learning remained useful given a prevailing view that further competition participation represented an important activity which would enable value to be leveraged in terms of finance, marketing and networking opportunities for new venture creation. Research limitations/implications -The findings challenge the common understanding that the BPC represents an effective methodology for highly authentic, relevant and broadly applicable entrepreneurial learning. Moreover the idea that the competencies needed for routine venture implementation and competencies developed through competition are synonymous is challenged. By extension the study suggests competition activities may not be as closely tied to the realities of new venture creation as commonly portrayed or understood and that the learning afforded is situated within a competition context. Competitions could therefore be preventing the opportunities for entrepreneurial learning that they purport they offer. Given the practical importance of competition participation as a resource acquisition activity for nascent en...

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“…or comparatively evaluating pedagogies in relation to alternatives (p. 494). However, it is a significant time since Honig (2004) doubted the basis for business planning competitions, and more recently Watson, McGowan, and Smith (2014) challenged the underpinning assumptions of such activities in Higher Education. Yet the assumptions underpinning competitions and challenges in schools have not been widely challenged.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Competitive Enterprise Education: Developing a Concept

Brentnall

2020

Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy

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In this article, I argue that limited attention has been given to the competitive nature of enterprise education targeted at school level, obscuring the fundamental composition of many activities. While concepts such as enterprise education and entrepreneurship education are framed broadly for primary and secondary educators, focused on skills development and confidence building, it can simultaneously be observed that prescribed activities are often competitive. Yet this competitiveness—and its assumed benefits and potential drawbacks—is not clearly distinguished in the literature. Therefore, my broad objective in this article is to develop the concept of Competitive Enterprise Education (CEE) and consider its implications. As part of this endeavor, a linear model synthesized from existing policy is presented, which illustrates assumptions which underpin CEE. I argue that this ordered and rational logic does not reflect the messy human and social context of such activities. An alternative, more realistic, model of CEE is offered, which points to the myriad potential outcomes possible through these activities. The implications of CEE are discussed. Ultimately, by conceptually distinguishing the ubiquitous practice of CEE, new and relevant lines of enquiry and thinking are opened up for researchers and practitioners.

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Extracurricular Business Planning Competitions

Cited by 8 publications

References 25 publications

Rethinking competition-based entrepreneurship education in higher education institutions

Rethinking competition-based entrepreneurship education in higher education institutions

An exploration of the Business Plan Competition as a methodology for effective nascent entrepreneurial learning

Competitive Enterprise Education: Developing a Concept

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